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Monday, July 18, 2016

Baking bread at home is indeed a very satisfying thing to do.Especially now that researches show so many preservatives and additives added to breads to make them softer and last long.We never used to care for all this before but now that we have a toddler at home who demands whatever food we eat to be fed to him as well,I am a little cautious as to what makes its way to the dining table.

Though I have to admit,I do not bake breads that often.Making chapathi/parathas from scratch is something which comes so easily to me but making bread somehow seems like a daunting task.I am trying to overcome that mind block so you may see quite a few bread recipes popping up here soon.

I always add a handful of oats to my chapathi dough,so when I saw this recipe of Honey Oats Bread,it immediately caught my attention.The bread is quite easy to make with no fancy ingredients,just the regular stuff you'd have in your kitchen.I loved the texture of the bread,soft with a slight sweet taste and perfect to eat as is or toasted.

Pre-heat oven to 180 degree C. Line up a 9 inch by 12 inch loaf pan with butter paper with extra paper hanging out of the pan.Add all-purpose flour, oats, instant yeast, salt and milk powder in the bowl of your electric beater. Beat the dry ingredients in slow speed to mix them all together.

Add milk, water, butter and honey in a saucepan and heat up until it reaches lukewarm. Stir until the butter is completely melted.Check for the temperature of the liquid mixture. Touch the liquid mixture and wait for 5 seconds. If the 5th second is the maximum heat you can bear, then it’s the right temperature. If it’s too hot and unbearable, then the liquid will kill your yeast. If it’s easy to bear, then it wont activate your yeast. So keep a check on the right temperature.

Pour the liquid mixture gently as you keep beating the dry ingredients. If using hands to knead, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the liquid mixture and start to knead.Beat on medium speed until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and the dough starts to come together.Continue to beat on medium high speed for about 10 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is shiny.Transfer the dough in a bowl coated with oil. Turn the dough once to coat oil all over the dough.

Cover with a damp cloth and leave it aside for 1 hour until double in volume.Punch or knock down the dough to release all the air. Transfer dough onto your working counter or a mat.

Roll it gently into a rectangle. If sticky dust the counter with all-purpose flour.Roll it into a log shape.Gently transfer the log shaped dough into the loaf pan and cover with damp cloth and set it aside for 20 minutes until double in volume.

Use a pastry brush and apply the warm honey on top.Sprinkle oats on top. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degree c for 25 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown and you knock down the bottom of the loaf pan you hear it hollow.